What a neat children’s book! I’m not really a sports person but like to read all kinds of books with my daughter and this seemed like an interesting one to add to her TBR. The story was great and the illustrations were a great accompaniment to it. The book showcases not just a basketball legend but the power of great friendship and leadership. Great book all around.

This picture book biography shares the story of the first Black basketball player who was a major NBA star. The story is simple and engaging, and it is truly inspiring. However, the historical events this book covers are very tragic, since Stokes experienced a job-related injury that led to paralysis. A significant portion of the book covers his medical crisis and slow steps towards recovery, and shows how his previous colleagues supported him by putting on annual benefit games to help pay his medical expenses and support him throughout his life.

The book emphasizes what a trailblazer Stokes was, both by opening doors for future Black NBA stars and by exposing the need for medical and retirement benefits for players. The story also shows how deeply beloved he was, and what a great friend and colleague he was, in addition to being a talented basketball player. This story is emotionally heavy, but it is deeply inspiring and is full of important messages. There is also a detailed author's note at the end.

This is a good introduction to a likely new person to many young readers. My 7yo has learned about Jackie Robinson. That has helped us start to have conversations about race and why people like Robinson and Stokes were so remarkable. Any book that invites a conversation about race can be helpful, especially in my library's conservative area.

I didn't especially like the drawings. The people seem awkward and disproportioned.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Stokes is a nice picture book biography about a little-known basketball star. The illustrations drew the reader in, showing lots of action. I learned a lot from this book, the text and the author's note. I think kids will be draw to it because the cover and topic (basketball) is appealing. Two small critiques: I wish the book had spent a bit more time fleshing out Maurice Stokes' time as a player and illustrating how he garnered such goodwill from others. Instead, the book mainly focuses on his injury and it wasn't until the author's note at the end that I truly got a sense that Stokes was a wonderful teammate, leader on the court, and all-around great guy. Also, the illustrations of the games was slightly confusing in that in some Stokes is wearing a blue jersey while the opposing team wears white and in other illustrations, this is exactly reversed. While this might have been accurate (home jersey v. away) I still found it confusing.

I love learning about new people. This story is sad but inspirational at the same time. This would make a great addition to a biography series or during March Madness to show the history of the sport.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Received for review: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks, Netgalley.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This is a hard book to rate. Topic wise I give this a 5. It's a very important story to tell, and I thought that they did a great job explaining what happened, what he had to overcome, and the historical context. However, I felt like the sentence structure was a bit repetitive, and the writing could have been improved and slightly more varied. Still, I'm glad I read this one because I think it's an important topic and story to tell.

Love,

Danica Page

What a story! Maurice Stokes was excelling and rising to the top of the game despite living in a time when Black players were often required to dull their shine to allow white players to make the big plays. Though his career was cut short, Stokes still make a lasting impact on the game and society. Despite the sadness of his illness, I enjoyed reading about this inspiring man.

This inspiring book teaches the lesson that being a team player is of the utmost importance. A picture book biography of Maurice Stokes, the story showed information about how a stokes contributed to the NBA as the first black superstar.

Over the years, I had heard very little about Maurice Stokes. I knew he was a pioneer in professional basketball, but I didn't know much about his life or career. The book "Stokes" is perfect for introducing young readers to this basketball trailblazer! Written in an easy-to-understand manner, it effectively captures Stokes' remarkable story and achievements. The beautiful illustrations add an engaging visual element that complements the text, making it an excellent resource for teaching children about this important figure in sports history.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. A huge thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This book was a good read. It gave great insight in to the world of a hero that many people don’t know about. It you have any interest in significant history of basketball this is a must read.

My son was on cloud nine when I read him this book before bedtime, It was SO fun! The illustrations, the information, the whole layout, it was wonderful! So much fun information, and so great for kids into basketball.